


like a missing piece

by playedwright



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Romance, Romantic Comedy, dex is just trying to live out his life in a remote part of alaska where no one bothers him, dex lives in alaska thats it, kind of idk - Freeform, kind of on that one too idk, nursey is just trying to get published
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-20 03:27:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19985326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/playedwright/pseuds/playedwright
Summary: Will loves his job. He tends to the grounds and checks traps for stray animals and makes friends with the wildlife. The locals know him by name and by smile and they always press a hot coffee into his hands when they see him. He spends the daylight hours working tirelessly and when the sun sets, he retreats to his home and he reads or he watches whatever he can get on cable or he drives into Sitka for the night and stays with whoever will take them.Still. As much as he loves it out here, it’s a relatively quiet life. Will practically counts down the days until Dr. Derek Nurse is scheduled to arrive.*Derek Nurse has been researching the northern lights for longer than he can even remember. Will Poindexter is just glad to finally have some company.





	like a missing piece

**Author's Note:**

> idk what this even is i don't have an excuse i had a vague idea and then it went off the rails whoops! anyway! looks like i'm continuing the trend of taking these boys and dropping them in various states however i please. 
> 
> title from 'northern wind' by city and colour bc i love them

Will gets the call on an otherwise uneventful day in the middle of September, where outside it’s threatening to snow but not quite following through.

“My name is Dr. Derek Nurse,” the man says, by way of introduction, “and I swear to god, I’ve been researching the aurora borealis for as long as I’ve been alive. I’m trying to arrange a visit out in December and I was given your number and told to ask you if you might be able to accommodate a lodger.”

“I’m not really an AirBNB,” Will hedges.

“I’m not looking for one,” Dr. Nurse tells him. “I’m working on a project. I want to be as close as I can to the lights but still have a safe place for all my stuff. I was going to go to Denali National Park, but they recommended I go somewhere smaller and with locals. They gave me your name...”

Will sighs and looks at his calendar. As far as busyness goes, he’s wide open. Rangers from all over the state love to use him as a point of reference on special cases like, but they don’t often call. Which means this guy is probably legit.

Plus, Will could use some science to geek over. Maybe this guy will let him take a peek at his field notes. Will’s been staring at the same old landscape for far too long.

“When in December are you trying to make it out?”

* * *

Dr. Derek Malik Nurse has a doctorate from Brown University, and is currently trying to get his research project published. Will finds out that much from his phone call, and spends the next two months trying to google Dr. Nurse whenever he notices his WiFi is behaving better than normal.

His internet search doesn’t yield much results, but that can be attested to the questionable at best service from where he is.

He does manage to pull up a picture of Derek, at one point. Will stares at it, slack-jawed, for longer than he cares to admit. If this is the same Derek Malik Nurse, then Will is going to count his lucky stars.

* * *

December comes, and with less hours in the day, Will spends an exorbitant amount of time cleaning his lodge from top to bottom.

* * *

He’s been in Alaska for five years.

Sometimes, he can’t believe it’s already been that long. Five years and three months ago, the University of Maine pressed a diploma into his hands and sent him into the embrace of his family with no directions on where to go next. Five years and one month ago, Will stumbled upon an ad listing for a summer job working on fishing boats off the coast of Alaska. He applied, got hired, packed a bag, and got on a plane. Four years and nine months ago, he realized he didn’t want to home.

Will’s degree in computer science would be practically useless out here, but he didn’t care. He had fallen in love with the mountains and the lakes and the wildlife and the trails; he loved skating on the frozen ponds and waking up to a cold nose and putting the fireplace on in April. And god, he loved the northern lights.

When his work at the fishing boat ran out, Will got a job as a groundskeeper and moved into his small cabin lodge overlooking Sitka.

He loves his job. He tends to the grounds and checks traps for stray animals and makes friends with the wildlife. The locals know him by name and by smile and they always press a hot coffee into his hands when they see him. He spends the daylight hours working tirelessly and when the sun sets, he retreats to his home and he reads or he watches whatever he can get on cable or he drives into Sitka for the night and stays with whoever will take them.

Still. As much as he loves it out here, it’s a relatively quiet life. Will practically counts down the days until Dr. Derek Nurse is scheduled to arrive.

* * *

Out of sheer boredom or perhaps even complete idiocy, Will volunteers to pick Dr. Nurse up from the airport.

He makes a sign. It feels corny and stupid so he leaves it in the truck, then gets mad at himself for not having it just in case.

It’s not necessary, though. He’s one of the few people getting off the tiny commuter plane, but even without the small numbers Will would have recognized Dr. Nurse right away. It is the guy from his half-assed internet search a few months ago, and he’s even more annoyingly attractive in person. Will has half a thought that this guy seems too young to be a doctor. They can’t be that far apart in age.

Dr. Nurse looks helplessly across the tarmac for a bit before Will takes pity on him. He’s only got a suitcase, a backpack, and a laptop bag with him. Will wonders where the rest of his equipment is.

“Dr. Nurse?” he asks, stepping forward. Dr. Nurse turns at the sound. “Will Poindexter. We’ve spoken on the phone a few times. Welcome to Alaska.”

Dr. Nurse huffs out a breath and shakes Will’s hand. “It’s cold as balls out here,” he states.

Will smirks. “Yeah, pea-coats don’t tend to cover you out here. You brought some thicker coats, right?”

“Somewhere in here, yeah.”

“Good. You’re going to need it. We’ve got about an hour of sunlight left, so we should probably hit the road. Do you have all of your things, Dr. Nurse?”

“Christ, please just call me Derek,” he says with a laugh. “Still not used to the whole ‘doctor’ thing yet. Or you can call me Nursey, if you’d prefer.”

Will raises an eyebrow. “Nursey?”

“Hockey nickname.”

“Huh.” Will hadn’t expected that. “I played, too. Dex.”

Derek smiles. It’s really cute. Will hates him, just a little bit. “Dex,” he repeats.

Will offers to haul his suitcase for him.

* * *

The thing about living in remote Alaska, is that even though it’s _awesome_ most of the time, it’s also super quiet. Will gets used to the quiet. He’s used to his music and he’s used to the soft crunch of the snow under his footfall. He’s used to the old creaks of the lodge that he can’t seem to fix no matter how hard he tries. He’s used to the sound of rushing water whenever he’s close to the river, and he’s used to the soft commotion from the locals when he drives by with his windows down.

He is not used to chatter, and he is especially not used to chatter in the form of Derek Nurse.

Derek has a thousand questions for him, and he scribbles some of the answers that Will gives him in a small notebook he pulls from nowhere. He doesn’t seem to mind that Will is pretty rusty with this level of casual conversation.

“Your music taste is shit,” he tells Will, like it’s a matter of fact, then promptly launches into a story about his undergrad roommate.

To Will’s surprise, he ends up enjoying it more than he means to.

Derek whistles in appreciation when Dex pulls the truck up to his lodge. It isn’t much, not really. Will lovingly calls it a two-and-a-half bedroom, one bathroom glorified trailer. But it’s cozy, and the fireplace works, and it’s got great views.

“Nice place,” Derek tells him.

“It’s a glorified trailer,” Will says, as habit dictates, but he smiles. “There’s a room set up for you. I’m afraid it’s not that big. I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t have to bring all your clunky equipment.”

“I don’t care,” Derek says happily, and Will believes that.

Will’s tour is brief; living room to the right, kitchen to the left. Bedrooms up the hall and to the right and left, and the bathroom straight forward. Derek snoops around for all of five minutes before he’s seen the whole place, then disappears into his room for the better part of an hour. Will is thrown, for a moment, with the sudden quiet. He starts to pull food out of the fridge to make dinner.

Derek emerges right as Will is pulling the salmon and asparagus out of the oven. He’s changed out of what he was wearing at the airport; the peacoat and fitted black sweater have been replaced with a well-loved hoodie, Brown University emblazoned on the chest. Will has the irrational thought that Derek looks absurdly cuddleable right now.

“Dinner’s ready,” he announces. He puts a plate in front of Derek. “You can’t come to Alaska and not try the salmon.”

“Oh,” Derek says in surprise. He doesn’t look up from the plate. “I didn’t know you were going to make dinner.”

Will startles. “Are you… not hungry?”

“Oh,” Derek says again. He catches Will’s eyes as he looks up. “No, I am. God, I’ve been on a plane since, like, six in the morning. I was just going to offer to take you out, my treat for your hospitality.”

Will’s lip quirks. “There’s not really dining near me. I’m not sure you noticed, but my house is on a mountain.”

Derek’s glare is barely withering. Will has to fight to keep the grin off his face. “Then fine, I’m not taking you out. But, like, tomorrow we’re going to where there _is_ dining, and I’m taking care of it. Or, like, let me make a meal or something. I owe you, bro.”

Will nudges the plate forward a little more. “Fine,” he concedes, even though he’s almost certain Derek will forget by tomorrow. “But for the love of god, if you don’t eat my salmon, you literally can’t stay here. I swear it’s good.”

They dine amicably, and Will is surprised by the fact that it isn’t awkward. More than once, they start sparring about whatever topic Derek brings up, and the argument lasts until Will stabs at his salmon angrily and Derek starts to crack up.

“Wait, hold up,” Derek says at one point. He actually raises his hands; his fork clatters against the plate noisily, and he doesn’t even flinch. “Hang on. How did you get from _Maine_ to Alaska? That’s, like, a hella jump.”

“Luck,” Will says with a shrug. “I wasn’t ready to not be in college anymore so I chased a familiar job in an unfamiliar place and they kind of hooked me. I haven’t left yet, so.”

Derek whistles lowly. “Man, all the times I thought about just dropping everything and moving somewhere new… kinda crazy you actually did that. Like, I know we just met so my word is probably shit to you, but kudos.”

“It’s probably the only cool thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

“I doubt that,” Derek argues. He leans back in his seat and looks at Will critically. “Actually, okay, maybe it _is_ the coolest thing you’ve ever done in your life. But like, you’re still young, so there’s plenty of time to out-cool yourself.”

Will snorts out a laugh. “I dunno, I think I’ve peaked.”

Derek hums. “Better now than like some college frat douche who shouts, ‘ _Pi Kappa Alpha!_ ’ every time someone says hey to him.”

“True,” Will agrees. “Fuck those guys.”

“ _Ffffuck_ those guys.”

Will stands and takes both his and Derek’s plate. “You want any more?”

Derek shakes his head. “Too good, man. If I go in for more, I’d never stop.”

“Lucky for you I only cooked four filets, then,” Will deadpans. “I think I got a couple of beers around here, you want one?”

When Derek stretches, the bottom hem of his sweater hitches up just enough that Will gets a glance of his stomach. It’s barely a glance, and he honestly can’t see anything, but it still makes him flush. He turns around quickly before Derek can notice the red in his face.

“Chyeah, beer sounds great,” he hears Derek say.

Will does what any normal human would do in this circumstance—he opens his fridge and hides his face. “You know, you don’t talk like a doctor.”

Derek lets out a huff of air that sounds practiced. “Not a doctor of medicine, man. Also, not a title I’m used to. I just barely graduated, you know? Also, like… dude, there’s not a right or a wrong way to talk.”

Will smacks his head on the top of his fridge in his haste to turn and look at Derek. “ _Christ_ ,” he hisses. He covers the back of his head with his hand. “Fuck. Sorry. I know, that’s not how I meant it. I literally barely talk to people out here, and they’re all so different from you. It’s just weird, is all. It’s been five years of this.”

Derek’s expression is still guarded. “Okay,” he relents. “Did you find beer?”

Shit. Will’s fridge is practically bare. He remembers, almost comically, two nights ago when he worked himself into a panic over his impending house guest and drank his last six pack in one sitting.

“No,” he admits. “But I know I have a bottle of wine around here somewhere. My parents bought it for me when I moved out there. I think they hoped I’d use it to entertain all the girls throwing my door down out here.”

“And yet you still haven’t entertained any of them?” Derek asks. There’s a quirk in his lip that is driving Will crazy.

Will pulls the bottle out of the cupboard and places it pointedly in front of Derek. “Women aren’t exactly who I want to entertain.”

Will has spent a lot of time studying people; there isn’t much else to do out here. He’s become really good at reading people’s body language. He catalogues the way that Derek’s eyes widen, just slightly, before they take on a more determined edge. He watches Derek’s mouth form a surprised ‘ _o_ ’ before it’s replaced with a grin. He sees the way Derek leans forward and angles his chair to better face Will. He knows what it means.

“I see,” Derek murmurs.

Will smirks.

Neither of them are very big wine drinkers, but as the alcohol flows, their conversation becomes better. Halfway through the bottle, they relocate from the kitchen to the couch. Derek, as it turns out, is a clumsy human being who just gets worse with alcohol. Will takes away his glass at one point, and it turns into a half-assed wrestling match to retrieve it, until in the end both glasses are sitting on the coffee table and Derek is slumped against Will’s chest.

“This is awesome,” Derek sighs.

Will aches to wrap his fingers in Derek’s stupid soft sweater.

“Like, I really like it out here,” continues Derek. Will is almost certain his eyes are closed. “It’s cold as fuck and the sun set at, like, three in the afternoon which is all kinds of wack, but… it’s gorgeous. And it’s quiet. And, like, holy fuck, have you seen some of the landscapes out there?”

Will hums in response.

“My friend Lardo would love it out here. She’d have a fucking collection dedicated to, like, just one lake,” Derek tells him. “It’s cool. IDK. I guess I’m just used to the city.”

A startled giggle breaks out of Will’s lungs. “Did you just say ‘IDK’ out loud?”

Derek harrumphs. “I thought we already talked about why I can talk however way I want.”

“You _can_ talk however way you want, but that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna give you shit about it when you say things like ‘ _IDK_ ’ out loud,” Will says. He starts laughing in earnest, so hard that Derek has to sit up. “Man, you’re something else.”

“I hope you mean that in a good way,” Derek harrumphs.

Will reaches forward and cups Derek’s jaw. There’s stubble under his fingertips, and the muscle against his palm twitches when Derek’s mouth drops open just enough. Derek’s bottom lip is right underneath Will’s thumb, and Will has the irrational need to touch it. So he does. Derek sucks in a sharp breath.

“I meant it in a really good way,” Will says. Derek’s brow furrows in confusion, and Will realizes he probably took too long to respond. Insecurity curls hot and fierce at the bottom of his stomach. “Am I reading this wrong?”

“I mean, not really,” Derek breathes. His breath is warm. Will moves his thumb and leans forward. It’s tentative, honestly, as far as first kisses go. Nothing more than a gentle press of two mouths together, both too scared to make the next move. There has been wine and flirting and cuddling, and there has been a heat in Will’s gut that he has been unable to ignore since he first laid eyes on Derek, and he is still hesitant.

He pulls away. “This isn’t why I agreed to lodge you,” he clarifies.

Derek snorts out a laugh. He hasn’t opened his eyes. “Didn’t say I thought it was.”

“Well, I’m just making sure you know. I don’t… do this.”

“As far as I can tell, nothing’s been _done_ yet, Dexy.”

It’s a bad line. It’s not even charming, but Will feels helpless as he moves forward without thinking. There’s nothing timid about this kiss. Derek is pliant and warm and moves his lips against Will’s like he’s been waiting to do it for years. Will changes the angle of the kiss then drops his hand to Derek’s hoodie, finally getting a handful of the material and tugging Derek closer. Derek makes a noise that reverberates in Will’s mouth, going easily as Will pulls and settling his knees on either side of Will’s body.

Derek’s hands are in his hair. He scrapes his fingernails against Will’s scalp and Will arches into it. Will drops his own hands to the bottom hem of Derek’s hoodie, shifting it until he finds Derek’s hipbones and holds him close.

Will is almost embarrassed by how into this he feels, until Derek shifts his hips and makes it obvious that he’s just as into it. Will’s blood ignites like gasoline. He puts a hand to Derek’s chest and eases him away.

“We should stop,” he pants. He’s sure his face is flushed red, and he can’t even speak for the state of his hair. He doesn’t think Derek stopped touching it once while they were making out.

Derek shifts back. His lips are kiss-swollen and his hoodie is rucked to the side. Will feels a surge of pride that _he did that_ and almost decides to let this continue regardless. “We can stop,” Derek agrees. “Sorry. That kinda escalated.”

“Don’t apologize,” Will says quickly. “Jesus. I am very, _very_ clearly into this. It’s just—um. Fuck, okay, I’ve been in Alaska for five years.”

Derek brushes a stray hair off of Will’s forehead. “We went over that already, dude.”

Will huffs. “ _No_ ,” he says pointedly. “I’ve been in Alaska for _five years_. Like, completely solitary, on my own for five years. I haven’t… had any guests to entertain.”

“Oh.” Derek’s expression softens. “Dex, it’s chill. I’ve been in grad school for like a billion years. The only date I’ve gone on recently has been to the library. Then I immediately threw myself onto this aurora borealis project, and now I’ve met you. So like… it’s chill.”

Will frowns. “I don’t know if anyone’s ever told you, but you’re like, absurdly hot. People would have been lining up for days just to spend thirty minutes with you, probably.”

“You didn’t know me in college.”

“Thank god for that.”

Derek snorts again, then starts to giggle in earnest. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he cries. Despite the fact he’s still sitting on Will’s lap, he tackles Will to the side, which leads to a halfhearted wrestling match that ends after the third time they almost topple off the couch and onto the ground.

“I was a geek in college,” Will wheezes. Derek has his arms pinned above his head. “You wouldn’t have spared me a second glance. That’s all I meant.”

Derek hums. “You’re doing yourself a serious disservice here, Dexy. You’re hot. I probably would have been into the whole angry redhead, solitary lumberjack, grumpy computer nerd vibe. Lowkey, I would have pined for you for, like, four years straight first, but I would have spared you _hella_ glances.”

Will rolls his eyes. Derek seems displeased with that response. He leans forward and kisses Will slowly, lazily, until Will is writhing underneath him. They’re both breathless when Derek finally sits up. He pulls Will up with him.

“I’m serious, you know. About finding you attractive.”

“Yeah,” Will huffs. “Well. I’m just trying to wrap my head around that, okay?”

Derek leans forward, right into Will’s space, but makes no further move to kiss Will again. Will shifts restlessly underneath his hands. “You need to go to bed or do you think you could handle some more making out?”

Will arches into him without thinking. He kisses messily, far too eager for his own good, but Derek fists his hand into Will’s shirt and pulls him closer and Will decides that maybe it’s working out for the both of them.

* * *

When Will wakes up the next morning, the house is empty. He finds a note on the kitchen table, written in messy scrawl.

He doesn’t see Derek again until hours after nightfall.

* * *

By the time a timid knock hits his front door, Will has stress-cleaned his cabinets, his bathroom, and the couch. He’s been sitting moodily in a kitchen chair staring out the window for the better part of twenty minutes, nursing a beer he picked up during his run into town in the afternoon.

Derek stands on the front porch, wearing at least three jackets. His expression is sheepish. There’s snow in his hair. Will scowls and opens the door wider to let him in. There’s a camera around his neck and a notebook sticking out of his outerwear pocket.

“So, uh, I got lost?” he tries.

Will scowls some more. He stomps his way into the kitchen, pulling a plate of food out of the fridge and shoving it into the microwave. His behavior is irrational, some part of him knows, but he doesn’t really care.

“I wanted to get a feel for Alaska in the day compared to at night,” Derek continues explaining. He shucks off his many layers and lays them haphazardly over Will’s freshly cleaned couch. Will huffs and turns back to the microwave. “Like, I thought it would be a good comparison to take note of. Then take those observations and compare it to when the northern lights start, you know?”

The microwave dings. Will takes the plate out and puts it down noisily at the table, then he crosses his arms and faces Derek. “Food,” he says simply.

Derek blinks. “Um, thank you.”

Will sighs. “You got lost?”

“Yeah, like,” Derek starts. He plops down at the table and picks up a fork, spinning it in the pasta noodles. “So I called an Lyft here ‘cause I didn’t want to make you drive me around all day, and she drove me into that little town right at the bottom of the road. I spent a few hours there. There’s this supes cute little coffee shop that has, like, the best americano I’ve ever had in my life. And I’m from New York, so that’s saying something. Oh, and I met John, he told me to tell you. He made me eat some fish and told me all about how he and his brothers caught it themselves. I had so many questions for that guy. You know his name is literally John Johnson? Super weird dude. Anyway, then he offered me a ride to this place where he said I’d get the best views of the lights, but he bailed as soon as we got there. Said it was relevant to his character or something that he leave right then. Guy must have some weird morals.”

“You took a ride from a stranger,” Will says flatly.

Derek pauses mid bite. “Um, everyone here is a stranger, dude. I took a ride with you yesterday.”

“Yes,” Will snaps. “And then you came here and we stayed up talking and then we made out like we’re fucking college freshmen and then you left this morning without saying anything!”

“I left a note!” Derek insists. His tone is defensive. “You were, like, sleeping—I didn’t want to bother you!”

Will’s shoulders sag. He feels small as he says, “Well, it sent a pretty clear message, okay?”

“What message?”

“That you regret it, or whatever.”

Derek sucks in a sharp breath. Will turns quickly so he doesn’t have to see the pity on Derek’s face when he lets Will down. He knows it was stupid, he told himself that over and over last night, but Will couldn’t help but get his hopes up. Derek is smart and beautiful and clever, and for some godforsaken reason he’d _wanted_ Will last night. Will hasn’t let himself be hopeful in over five years. He knows now that it’s been for good reason.

“I don’t regret it,” Derek says sharply. His statement is accompanied by a loud scraping sound against a plate. Will winces. “God, the fact that you even think that… dude, I practically waxed poetic about you last night. And that’s saying something, you know, considering—”

Derek takes another deep breath. “Can you turn around, please? Also, maybe I should eat later if we’re gonna have this conversation?”

Will turns on his heel. “When did Johnson feed you?” he asks.

“Um, I don’t know. Around noon I think?”

“It’s nine now. You need to eat,” Will tells him. He shifts his weight back and forth uncertainly before nodding to himself and taking a seat in front of Derek. He crosses his arms again. “You weren’t here, you didn’t say goodbye. Your note said _gotta do research, see you later_. You were gone for over twelve hours.”

Derek frowns. “It would have been shorter if Johnson hadn’t bailed on me, I swear. I got some pictures, but it’s too cloudy to see the lights tonight, so then I spent almost an hour trying to get service to call a Lyft back to me. I would have called you, but I didn’t have your number. I would have… I would have texted you today, too. But.”

Will’s expression softens. “But,” he agrees. He sighs again. Derek takes another bite of his pasta.

“This is delicious, by the way.”

Will almost smiles. “Thanks. I stress-cook.”

Derek’s nose wrinkles. “I really am sorry.”

“I just need real communication,” Will mutters. He can feel it when his cheeks go red. “I live in solitary, dude. I’m clearly not good with human interaction. So I need clear communication. Not some shoddy note. Not radio silence for thirteen hours.”

“I didn’t realize it was gonna bother you this much,” Derek admits.

Will rubs at his temple. “And I forgot you were out here to do research. I probably could have handled this whole thing better. Sorry for being an asshole.”

“Believe it or not, I’ve come to realize that’s just a facet of your personality.”

“Oh, fuck off.”

They grin at one another. Derek eventually breaks it to keep eating his food. “Okay, so here’s the game plan. I’m giving you my number so that we can talk when either of us is out of here. Alaska is a frozen tundra, anything can happen. I’m gonna have another plate of this amazing pasta if you have extra. You can keep sulking while I eat if you want. Maybe in our future, there’s a bit more making out?”

Will rolls his eyes. “Let’s see how you feel after the second plate of pasta.”

* * *

Derek follows him to bed this time.

The next time he wakes up, Derek’s arms are wrapped around his waist.

* * *

Derek suggests that he spend the day documenting what Will does. He fits into the passenger seat like he belongs there now, and Will honestly can’t remember what driving is like without Derek’s endless chatter.

It helps them both that Derek keeps resting his hand on Will’s thigh. It calms Will’s nerves, more than anything else.

Derek documents notes in that small notebook Will still hasn’t got a good look at. He asks questions as Will helps haul boxes off of a delivery truck, and as Will stomps through the snow checking traps, and as Will shovels snow out of Ms. Chavez’s driveway. He insists they stop at the coffee place he discovered yesterday, and then pouts when the barista greets Will by name and presses his premade coffee order into his hands.

“Do you think there’s any small gem in this town you haven’t discovered yet?” Derek asks him.

Will says, “I’m sure there is,” but he can’t stop himself from thinking that he discovered a gem from New York here that he’d never expected to find.

They buy fish from Johnson, despite the fact that Derek keeps shooting him annoyed glances, and Johnson winks at them both before sending them on their way. It’s supposed to be clear skies tonight, so they head back to the lodge early to fry up the fish and then set up for the lights.

Derek insists on cooking. Will gives him a tour of where everything in the kitchen is, then goes outside to shovel snow off the porch and get the chairs set up. He comes back inside and sets some logs out by the fire, making sure it’s ready to go when they decide to come back inside. There’s another bottle of wine in his pantry that he’s considering bringing out, just in case.

“Do you have any equipment you need me to set up?” he asks Derek.

Derek flips a fish on the skillet and hums. “I just need my camera and my journal. I’ll upload the photos tomorrow, along with everything else.”

Will nods in response. When he passes by Derek on his way to his bedroom, he can’t help but press a kiss to Derek’s cheek. It’s not until he’s in his room slipping into warmer layers that he even realizes what he did. His skin heats up immediately. Derek feels familiar, in a startlingly unfamiliar way. Will is settling himself far too easily into this thing with Derek. Logically, he knows he should reign it back—Derek won’t be here forever. He’s only in Alaska for a few days,

Illogically, Will doesn’t care.

He slips on an old UMaine hoodie and pads his way back into the kitchen. Derek places two plates on the table, and a huge smile stretches across his face.

“You look cozy,” he comments.

“It’s my most charming outfit,” Will responds. “Is it charming you?”

Derek reaches forward and wraps the strings of Will’s hoodie around his fingers. “Mmm. Jury’s still out.”

“I think it’s working,” Will says. He leans forward until Derek kisses him.

“The fish is going to get cold,” Derek whispers against his lips.

Will groans. “A sacrifice I’d be willing to make.”

Derek laughs and at shoves at Will’s chest. “Go sit down. I made this meal and we’re fucking eating it. I told you on day one that I owed you a meal, so we are gonna eat.”

Will doesn’t settle until he kisses Derek one more time, but then takes his seat across from Derek. There’s fish and rice and it all smells amazing, and he tells Derek as much. Derek flushes a delightful shade and hides his grin behind his fork.

It’s companionable, sharing a meal with Derek. He tangles his legs with Will’s under the table and winks when Will raises an eyebrow. It’s endlessly endearing. Will can’t help but smile back. These last five years have been lonely, far more than he cares to admit. He loves the solitude of his mountain, loves the quiet that takes over his home when a new blanket of snow covers the land, he loves his gentle mornings. Will loves the people here and he loves the views, and he has never once thought about leaving since he first stepped off that plane and into the biting Alaskan wind.

Being with Derek, it’s different. Will loves it here, but he no longer wants the isolation. He wants shoes and a coat next to his by the front door, wants a plate across from him at the table, wants two toothbrushes in the holder and arms wrapped around him on the cold nights and someone to sit by the fire. More than that, he wants it to be _Derek_.

Will swallows thickly. “What will you do, once your research is all over?” he asks, voice cracking. He clears his throat and stares resolutely at his plate.

Derek sets his fork gently on the table. “Get it published,” he answers with a shrug. Will can feel Derek’s heavy gaze on him. “See where that takes me. Start a new project and try to get that one published, too. I just graduated with a high degree in education. There’s nothing I couldn’t do.”

Will makes a noise at the back of his throat. He pushes his last bite of fish around his plate uselessly. Derek is patient, waiting for Will to get where he needs to. Finally, Will puts his fork down, too. “Think you’d ever come back here?”

“You telling me that you want me to come back, Poindexter?” There’s a grin in Derek’s voice. Will is still too afraid to look up, but he can hear the lilt of it in Derek’s words.

“Maybe.”

Derek nudges Will’s calf with his toe. Will finally looks up.

“I’m not even leaving yet,” Derek reminds him softly. Heat floods Will’s face.

“I know,” he snaps. He fiddles with the hem of his UMaine hoodie, eyes drifting down. “I know. That’s why this is stupid. Sorry. It’s just… I like having you here.”

“Dex, sorry, but I really didn’t catch that last bit,” Derek says.

Will meets Derek’s gaze again, and this time he doesn’t look away. “I like having you here,” he repeats. “I like the company. The companionship. I like two people living in this tiny ass lodge and I like not feeling so alone out here anymore.”

Derek’s shoulders sag. “Will, you could have that with anyone here. I know for a fact that Tyler down at the coffee shop thinks you’re a total catch.”

“I don’t want Tyler,” Will says pointedly. “I don’t want that with anyone here.”

Derek leans forward in his seat. His eyes are wild, and Will’s heart skips a beat in his chest. “Oh,” Derek says.

“Sorry.”

“No, don’t be.”

Will looks back down at his plate. He finishes his last three bites while Derek processes, then stands and clears the table of both of their plates. “Do you want more?” he asks, dropping his own plate in the sink.

“I’m good, thanks.”

Will nods to himself and sets about running the plates under hot water.

“Will, can you stop for a sec?” Derek asks. His voice is tight. Will drops the plates and turns on his heel. Derek has stood from his chair, lingering now uncertainly by the table. “I feel like we’re doing this all kinds of wrong.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Derek huffs. “Not like that! It’s just—dude, I wish I had an actual chance to, like, woo you. To date you and stuff. We’re doing this backwards.”

Will is pretty sure his heart stops beating for a second. “I’m going to ignore the fact that you just said you wanted to _woo me_ like I’m some farm girl from the 1800s, but can we circle back to the part where you said you wanted to date me?”

“Fuck you, you’d be super wooed if I was given a chance.” Derek grins. “Yes, you dumbass. I wanted to date you. Do I need to shout it from the rooftops? I don’t think anyone would hear out here, but I would. Also, I still _want_ to date you, present tense. I just have this hella inconvenience where I live in New York right now.”

Will lunges forward. Derek catches him, barely, and there’s a ghost of a laugh that escape his throat before Will is kissing him desperately. Will wraps his arms around Derek’s shoulders and pulls him close. It’s messy for a kiss, as it tends to be when Will initiates, but he’s pretty sure neither of them care at this moment. Derek pulls away when he starts laughing too hard.

“I thought I was blowing this out of proportion,” Will admits. “I’ve been living completely on my own for so long. I thought I was taking this and making it a way bigger deal than it was because I was lonely.”

Derek brushes his fingers across Will’s cheekbone. “Weirdly enough, it’s not just you. This feels like a big deal.”

Will grins. “Cool.”

They kiss lazily in the kitchen, and eventually Will maneuvers them to the couch where they kiss with a little bit more heat. Derek’s hands feel amazing when they slip under Will’s hoodie, and Will cannot get enough of how strong the muscles in Derek’s back feel underneath his palms. He’s content to spend the whole night like this, before it dawns on him suddenly.

“Fuck,” he gasps out. “Shit, Derek, we gotta get you outside. The lights.”

Derek groans. “That timing is terrible, Dex.”

“I know, I know. But your research. We should get you out there before the sky clouds up again and you can’t see them at all.”

“Would that be so bad? I could stay for a few more days.”

Derek looks almost embarrassed to have said it. Will searches his face carefully, making sure he meant it. Then he reaches forward and twines his fingers with Derek’s. “You could stay longer even without using the northern lights as an excuse.”

It feels like a brave thing to say, even though Will isn’t afraid to say it.

He makes sure Derek is properly bundled up before they make their way outside. Derek sucks in a sharp breath when he looks up.

Will gets it. It’s a sight that he’ll never get used to, not as long as he lives.

The sky is lit up in beautiful colors of green and blue and white. They dance among the stars, a slow and steady pace, but a breathtaking dance nonetheless. Will used to wonder what it would be like to stand in the middle of all of that, to let the waves of green and blue light wash over him as he wades his way through. He used to dream that one day he’d be able to touch the lights; he used to think there was nothing more beautiful than the idea of existing in the center of the northern lights.

Watching Derek take it all in, Will revises that thought.

“Holy shit,” Derek whispers. “I didn’t know it could be like this.”

“You’re a long way from New York,” Will tells him. Derek reaches out and grabs onto Will’s hand.

They stay out there for almost too long; Derek needs a reminder to take his pictures, and even when he’s done with that he isn’t quite ready to go inside. It takes both of them shivering too hard to even talk to convince Derek that it’s time to go in.

Will immediately gets to work starting the fire, then goes and grabs all of the blankets and pillows he can find. He dumps them in front of the fire and slips out of his heavy coat, making sure Derek does the same.

Clad in hoodies and sweatpants, they make a little bed in front of the fire then lay down in front of it and curl together. They exchange kisses and stories about tidbits in their lives. Derek looks stunning by the firelight, and maybe it’s just a facet of his personality, looking beautiful wherever he is. Will kisses Derek’s jaw since it’s the nearest thing to him.

“It’s kind of hard to wrap my head around the fact that we’re here right now,” he admits. Derek hums and curves closer to Will. “Still can’t believe a guy like you would even look my way. I feel lucky.”

Derek snorts. “Like a leprechaun?”

“I’m _not_ even Irish, fuck you.”

Derek hums again. He moves until he’s on top of Will, legs bracketing either side of him, face close enough to kiss. “You would,” he says smugly. Will can’t disagree with that.

It’s the best Will has felt in a long time. It feels right, being here with Derek. Derek kisses him with reverence, and looks at him with adoration, and when his body moves against Will’s it feels like worship in the highest form. They fit together perfectly, Will thinks, when he curls around Derek’s back and wraps his arms around his middle. Derek’s bare skin is warm and reassuring against Will’s and he can’t get enough of it. They fit together _really well_.

He falls asleep hoping this could be enough.

* * *

He finds out the truth over coffee the next morning.

“What’s your research even for?” he asks, as Derek pulls creamer out of the fridge and passes it his way.

“Hm? Oh. For the aurora borealis? It’s just a writing project. I’m writing a novel.”

“You aren’t a _scientist_?!”

* * *

Will eventually stops pouting after Derek finds him in bed and kisses him with new kinds of determination. They don’t have a lot of time this morning, before Will has to go do work things, but it turns out Derek doesn’t need a lot of time. He takes Will apart with his skillful fingers and quick mouth and gives Will a lazy kiss before Will gets dressed and leaves.

Derek is asleep again by the time Will comes home, so Will decides to push his other responsibilities to later in the day and crawls back into bed with him. Derek makes a contented noise when Will cuddles against him that Will thinks he’d be okay with hearing for the rest of his life.

For the first time since he can remember, Will takes an actual nap.

He wakes up sticky with sweat, an unfortunate side effect to cuddling under blankets. Derek is in the kitchen making sandwiches, and they eat together crowded in front of Will’s tv as they watch one of the old DVDs Will never got around to donating.

Will gets a phone call around 3pm from rangers at Denali National Park, asking if he could be flown out there to help out for a day or two. It’s a day for firsts, Will thinks, as he kindly tells them that he isn’t able to make it out this week.

He and Derek make out on couch lazily for a bit after that, Derek giddy at the prospect that Will wants to spend more time with him.

Derek leans back far too soon for Will’s liking. “Can I take you out to dinner? In town. Not at Johnson’s. There’s got to be another place we can eat.”

There’s not much in the way of fancy dining here, but Will still makes an effort to put on his nicest flannel and jeans as he gets ready to let Derek take him out. They take the truck down, and Derek holds Will’s hand the whole time.

He feels like he’s seventeen, blushing and fumbling and awkward and thrilled at the prospect of holding a boy’s hand.

He doesn’t want to let go, though.

Will parks in front of the steakhouse, and Derek continues to hold his hand as they walk in. It’s about as crowded as it gets for a small town in Alaska. Their booth overlooks the water. Outside, the clouds are starting to break up.

“This is nice,” Derek admits. “I like it out here.”

“I’m trying to make a hard case as to why you should stay.”

“Your face makes that case strong enough for you, Dexy.”

Will is certain he’ll spend the entire evening blushing.

He has to admit that it’s nice to go out on a date in Alaska. He has spent a very long time isolating himself. If he’s being honest though, Will can’t bring himself to regret it. He’s glad that he was alone when he met Derek. He doesn’t want to imagine anything getting in the way of what they’ve started.

Derek kisses him outside the restaurant, then kisses him again in the truck when they pull up to Will’s lodge. Neither of them can get enough, both desperate to make this as best as it can be before it draws to a close. Will is all too aware of the fact that Derek is going to have to return to New York and Rhode Island to submit his work.

They exchange tired kisses in Will’s bed, before Will finally calls it quits and curls into Derek’s chest with a yawn. His hand rests on Derek’s bare stomach, and Will watches tiredly as his hand rises and sinks with each breath Derek draws.

“You have to go back,” Will murmurs into the quiet. He can feel it when Derek swallows.

“It doesn’t have to be soon,” he hedges.

Will’s hand curls helplessly against Derek’s stomach. “It should be soon,” he argues. “You want to be published. You _should_ be published. That would make you happy.”

Derek sighs. “How cheesy would it be right now if I were to say that you make me happy?”

“Super cheesy. But I’m charmed anyway.”

Derek hums.

Will squeezes his eyes shut. He takes a deep and shuddery breath. “I could always go with you,” he suggests. He can feel it when Derek tenses.

“You love Alaska,” Derek whispers. “I wouldn’t make you leave Alaska.”

“I could go with you while you’re getting this publishing thing figured out. You could show me your hometown and all your old haunts and your college campuses. I could take you to Maine if you have a break. Then I could come back. _We_ could come back.”

“You’d come with me?” Derek asks. His voice barely carries through the quiet of the room.

“Yeah,” Will admits. “Ain’t that something?”

“This is crazy,” Derek whispers. “This is like, romantic comedy stuff! I feel like I should be panicking because we’re probably moving too fast, but mostly I just don’t care. I like you, Will. I want you to come with me.”

“Then I’ll come with you,” Will says back. He tilts his head up and kisses Derek’s jaw. “I’ll come with you because I like you and I like this and I don’t care if it’s moving too fast either.”

Derek laughs, and puts a finger under Will’s jaw to tilt his head up higher. His kiss feels like a promise.

Will falls asleep content.

* * *

They buy his plane ticket the next morning.

Six days in New York for Derek to compile all his pictures and writings and to finalize his draft, ten days in Rhode Island to submit his project for publication and to await response, and then five days in Maine for Will to go home and to introduce his family to Derek.

“You can call me your boyfriend, you know,” Derek tells him, after Will finishes laying out the plan. Will’s cheeks turn red and he grins and tries to hide it, and Derek kisses him still.

“I didn’t know if we were labeling it.”

Derek rolls his eyes. “You’re following me to the East Coast and then I’m following you all the way back to Alaska. I think we can afford to put a label on it.”

Will curls his fingers into Derek’s hoodie. He looks just as cuddleable in UMaine blue as he does in Brown grey. Derek comes easily when Will pulls him forward for another kiss. He is happy, all the way down from his toes to the ceiling of his lodge.

He supposes he has the northern lights to thank for that.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!!
> 
> as always, you can find me [here](https://tonytangredis.tumblr.com/).
> 
> comment, kudos, and bookmark below!


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